It is known that the physical properties of a material may be altered by treating the material with electron (e-beam) radiation. Typically, a material is placed within a basket or container and is conveyed through a focused electron beam. It is known that certain organic, fibrous materials may be altered by treating the material with electron beam radiation. For example, irradiating cotton produces an irradiated cotton material that may be crushed or milled into an extremely fine powder that finds advantageous application in the cosmetic industry, as well as in the lubrication industry.
One problem of irradiating organic materials, such as cotton, in a basket or container is that the container, which is typically metal, is irradiated together with the material. As a result, the container is heated as the e-beam radiation impinges thereon. Excessive heating of the metal container may cause discoloration and scorching of the organic material that is in contact with the container. In some applications, particularly in cosmetics, discoloration of the cotton material is undesirable.
Another problem with irradiating material as described above is handling the irradiated material. For example, irradiated cotton loses much of its tensile strength is quite friable, i.e., easily pulverized or milled by mechanical handling. This loss of tensile strength makes physical handling of the irradiated cotton more difficult, as compared to ordinary cotton.
A still further problem of irradiating cotton or other fibrous materials is applying uniform and even doses of radiation to the material. When stacked or piled in a basket or container, the compactness, i.e., the density and thickness, of the material may vary, thus varying the amount of radiation absorbed by the material as it passes through the electron beam.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems and provides a method of irradiating organic materials, such as cotton, which method does not require a physical container for holding the material.